Chance and our working parents landed us in the same daycare in 1994. I can’t say I remember the beginning well, but what we do have is a polaroid of us kissing in the young 2’s room and the memories of our parents and teachers. We must’ve looked good together– when we were 6, our daycare teacher asked us to be the flower girl and ring bearer in her wedding. That night ended with me crying hysterically, refusing to dance with Julia. After that, we had minimal communication until high school when I found her on Facebook. I hit her with a few of the worst flirts (still makes me cringe), but we developed a friendship that lasted into college - best friends on Snapchat for part of 2014. Busy schedules and distance made any sort of progress unrealistic. After college, we headed different directions and exchanged casual messages on occasion. In December 2019, while scrolling through a dating app I came across Julia who was home for the holidays. A few days later, she posted about Ohio State football and I used that to reach out. Fortunately, my flirting had improved, and she agreed to have dinner with me. It was a Steeler Sunday so we met for the game. I didn’t watch a play. I knew I wanted to see Jul as much as possible before she returned to California. Thankfully, she agreed to see me again, and again, and again. By day 4 we were committed to giving long distance a go. The following year wasn’t always easy, but we made the best of it. A pandemic and remote work allowed us to see each other more often and for longer visits. Jul made a big sacrifice by leaving her job to come back to the Burgh to be closer to me and her family. I knew I was going to marry her (I told my brother and friends after our first date) and figured it was time to let her in on the secret. While helping her unpack, I popped the question and she said YES. It was a long, winding road that led us back here, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Here’s to us. Can’t wait to celebrate with all of you!